Toothbrush sterilizer and retainer.



S.. H. THOMPSON.

T'OOTHBRUSH STERILIZER AND RET/UNER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2i, 1918.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

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SAMUEL H. TIEIOllEIPSON, OI' LOS ANGELES, CALIF-ORNIA.

TooTHBEUsH STEEILIZEEAND RETAINER.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H.- THOMP- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at LosAngeles, in the county of LospAngeles, 'State of California, have invented new and 'useful Improvements in Tooth. brush Sterilizers and Retainers, of which* the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tooth brush sterilizer and retainer and it is an object of my invention to provide a retainer that will sterilize a number of brushes at the same time and yet not expose them to contamination from one another.

There are two ordinary forms of tooth brush retainers; in one the brushes are hung or in some manner suspended in the open air which allows them to be contaminated by dust and by proximity to other brushes; while in the other form a container or holder is provided for keeping the brushes away from the circulating air. When -a container such as a glass or metal tube is used there is not a suiicient circulation of air around the brush to keep it from getting foul and unsanitary. My invention, however, provides a means by which a single brush or a plurality of brushes may be held and individually sterilized. The air in which each' brush stands holds a vapor from a sterilizing fluid which keeps the brush from being contaminated in any way. The following detailed description will make clear the construction and also features of my invention.-

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan View of a typical form of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1'.

In the drawings 10 is the container into .which the brush holding tubes 11 extend,

said container being provided with brackets 20 by which it is mounted in a convenient A t one end of the container 10 an opening 12 is provided with a ktight stopper 13 (a hermetic seal), said opening being a convenient means by which the container may be lled with the necessary amount of sterilizing fluid. At the other end of container 10 is a cup 14 with a cover 15 (not necessarily' tight) said cup being adapted to hold a. tube of tooth paste or the like. The tops of the brush holding tubes 11 which extend down into the container 10 are made lto fit tightly (hermeti- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 21, 1918. Serial No. 212,933.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

cally) inv tapered holes 16 in the top of said container and the tapered stoppers 21 it tightly (hermetically) into the tops of tubes ll. perforated vpartitions 17 Aupon which the tooth brushes rest. Enough sterilizing fluid is poured into the bottom of container 10 to cover the ends of tubes 11 without submerging partitions 17. AThe lower ends of tubes 11 `which extend into. the liquidare perforated withholesI 19 thus admitting said liquid into the tubes. -The vapors from the liquid pass through the-perforations in partitions 17 thereby sterilizing and keepin a perfectly'saniing the tooth brushes 18 tary condition. No germs can reach one brush from another without passing through the liquid, because (in preferred form) the tube perforations are below the liquid level. But the disinfectant or sterilizer used is such that, even if the perforations were not submerged, the germs will be killed in passing from one tube to another through the vapors.

It will be readily understood that my device may be made with any desired number of brush holding tubes and of any suitable material, although clear glass is perhaps the most adaptable, leasing and sanitary. If the device is ma e of glass or any similar material the tubes 11 can be made integral with the container 10. It is for these and other obvious reasons that I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form and construction described above. The particular construction shown in the drawings however makes it a very simple matter to clean the entire structure. By removing the tubes from the container 10 the inside of said container can be easily and thoroughly cleaned and when thus removed the tubes also may be easily cleaned. The opening 12 not only provides a very convenient way of filling the container but also provides a simple draining means. When'it becomes necessary to change the sterili`zing fluid the old fluid can ybe poured out through opening 12. If however said opening is not provlded the fluid can be poured into the Container 10 through 'rather do I reserve to myself such changes,

variations and modifications as may suggest Near the lower ends of`tubes 11 are themselves to those skilled in the art orl as 'i may fall within the scope ofthe following' claims.

Having described a preferred form of my. invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character a container adapted to holdl a -sterilizing fluid, a brush holding tube having a perforated partition near its lower end, there being holes in said .tube below said partition, and av cover for said tube.

2. In a device of the character described,

. a container adapted to hold a sterilizing forated partition near its lower end, there ,V

being holes in said tubes below said partition, a cover for said tube, the container having an opening adapted to allow said sterilizing fluid to be poured into and 'emptied out of said container, and a cover for s'aid opening.

4. In a device of the character` described, a container adapted to hold a sterilizing' fluid, a plurality of brush holding tubes havdescribed,

ing perforated partitions near theiry lower ends, and having holesin said' tubes below4 said partition, cover means on said tubes, an opening adapted to allow 5. In a tooth brush holder and sterilizer, a container adapted` tohold a sterilizling fluid, said container having a plurality of 40 4openings in its top, a plurality ofi brush holding tubes fitted tightly into the top and extending down into the cortainer with perforations in the lower ends ofthe tubes',

perforated shelves in the tubes above the lower ends, and tight Stoppers ,for the tubes.

6. In a device of the character described, a container adapted to hold.. a .sterilizing fluid, a brush holding tube extending down into the container and having a perforated 5C partition near its lower end to support the brush above the liquid inl the'container, the tube extending ondown below the partition and having an opening at its lower end adapted tojadmit liquid tothe tube below the partition.

Inwitness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 11th day of January, 1918.

, SAMUEL I-I. THOMPSON. Witness: v

V. BEBINGER.

said sterilizing35 Afl d. to be poured into and emptied out of sa'd container, and a coverfor said opening. 

